Ron Zaleski left Key West, Fla., on Sept. 11 for a 2,700-mile mission: to walk across the country in support of ending veteran suicide and advocating for life-saving programs. Zaleski, a Marine veteran and member of American Legion Post 159 in Venice, Fla., is walking to San Diego, Calif., and making stops to Legion posts, churches and other veteran supportive organizations along the way to share his mission.
“It’s going to take all of us to fix this,” said Zaleski, who will walk for 10 months while wearing a sign that displays a list of different names daily of veterans lost to suicide, “so their lives may never be forgotten, and we honor their legacy by believing in a brighter future for the brave veterans of the United States.”
This is not Zaleski’s first walk in support of veteran suicide awareness. In 2010 he walked barefoot to Washington, D.C. During the walk he met a mother of a veteran who died by suicide. “The hardest thing that I’ve done on my walk is to hold the mother who lost a child, and she held me like I’m her son, and say, ‘It’s my fault.’ There are no words to that,” he said. “There is no loss that I know of that’s greater than that.”
That experience led Zaleski to form the nonprofit The Long Walk Home where he has helped veterans with suicide intervention, relationship healing, and the skills needed to live meaningful lives.
“I know our program causes a transformative shift in the trajectory of their lives,” he said. “I have seen first-hand by supporting these veterans and their families we have been able to turn their anger into mindfulness, heal damaged relationships for themselves and their loved ones, and create a new mission. We were warriors (in the military). But now is the time to be leaders in our community and in our family. Our program helps them shift that perception.”
The Long Walk Home has two programs – ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) by LivingWorks that’s a two-day program teaching family members suicidal signs to look for and how to intervene, and a 10 Challenge course for veterans that’s a list of guided questions.
Zaleski said the first set of challenge questions are: What are you grateful for when you wake up? What are you grateful you accomplished at the end of the day? And how do you show gratitude?
“Part of these challenge questions is to go out and have a conversation with your loved ones or a stranger,” Zaleski said. “I had an 80-year-old take this who thought he had no problems. His wife made me a batch of cookies and thanked me for the transformation of her husband.”
Zaleski is taking the 10 Challenge course to incarcerated veterans as well. After his visit with about 15 veterans, he learned that they took the knowledge learned and administered the program to the entire prison.
“I would rather prevent suicide than wait till you’re on the ledge where you’ve got nothing left to lose.” he said.
As Zaleski walks 12 hours a day over the next 10 months, he will share the resources available through The Long Walk Home and the Legion’s Be the One suicide prevention mission to save a life through available resources and training.
“I want to direct veterans the best way I can to get the help they need. My hope is by creating a movement rather than just my own passion and advocacy, together we can help eradicate veteran suicide.”
Since they were unable to attend the 2024 American Legion National Convention in New Orleans, American Legion National Commander Daniel Seehafer had a message for the two presidential candidates: Don’t forget about veterans.
The American Legion – Aug 07, 2024
With a new school year starting prior to the onset of the pandemic, members of American Legion Riders Chapter 129 in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., learned from a teacher that has connections to the post that she would spend hundreds of dollars of her own money to purchase school supplies for students who were unable to pay for all of their supplies.
And that didn’t sit well with Chapter 129 and was the reason it started its backpack supplies program. For around six years, the Riders have provided backpacks full of school supplies and delivered them to a different school each year.
This year the recipient was Neptune Beach Elementary School, which was provided with 66 full backpacks.
“We decided to help our community out by doing the school supply drive,” said Past Auxiliary Unit 129 President and the former Chapter 129 Membership Chairman Mary Tarnowski. “We’re in a military town. We have a lot of military families … that really run short of money for school supplies. We’ve got a lot of needy families in the area.”
The first-ever donation was made to San Pablo Elementary School. Staff and students and their families were gathered outside with signs thanking the Riders.
“After that first initial contact, we decided it was something that we, as Riders, needed to do for the community,” Tarnowski said. “(Elizabeth Kavanagh) is the principal at Neptune Beach, which we recently delivered to, and she couldn’t thank us enough.”
Members of Chapter 129 donate school supplies at the post throughout the year; Post 129 also donated $1,000, while Unit 129 contributed $200.
“We also try to get some supplies for the teachers,” Tarnowski said. “They wanted tissues, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes … and we always try to get them some copy paper.”
PROJECT VetRelief is experiencing a high volume of financial assistance applications and temporarily will not be accepting any NEW requests until September 1st, 2024. Applications that have been submitted before Thursday, August 1st, 2024 will be processed by our temporary staff members and considered for assistance. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding with our small team dedicated to serving our veteran community.
Please note, Project VetRelief is a privately owned program of the American Legion, Department of Florida. The guidelines for financial assistance have been established by the PROJECT: VetRelief Board of Directors. Our funding is based on charitable donations; and with limited resources, we must evaluate each request for assistance carefully and thoughtfully.
With deep sorrow, we inform you of the passing of Department Historian Les M. Martin of Palmetto, Florida. Les passed away on July 30, 2024, at the age of 76. He is survived by his wife, Harriet Martin, and three sons, Alan, Brian, and Christopher. Details regarding services are not yet available. Updates on the arrangements will be shared via email and on the Department’s website.
Les was a U.S. Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War Era and was a dedicated member of Bradenton Post 24. Over his 44 continuous years with the American Legion, he held numerous leadership positions, including Post Adjutant (1999-2000 and 2002-2003), Post Commander (2000-2002), Post Judge Advocate (since 2023), District Vice Commander (2019-2021), Department Children & Youth Chair (2019-2022), Department Sgt-at-Arms (2022-2024), and Department Historian (since the 2024 Department Convention). On a National level, Les served on the Americanism Council (2019-2022), the Children & Youth Commission (2019-2022), and the Security Council (since 2022)
Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00am on Sunday, September 15th at Post 24, 2000 75th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34209.
Please keep Les’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
BY Lawrance Monk Delegate for Post 394 District 12
Day 1: Sunday June 16th.
The night before, I collected my bags and headed for the American Legion Post that I need to get to so I can be picked up. Right before I got picked up I said goodbye to my parents one last time before I made my way to Tallahassee. After my post got picked up, we went to one more post so they could get picked up too, and we were on our way to the capital.
Sunday morning, we arrived at FSU. We were early, so we had to wait a little bit before going on our way to see our dorm rooms. Around 7am, we were allowed in so we could take our belongings with us to find our rooms. I was assigned to Space County, so I was on the top floor. Upon getting to the first floor, I was welcomed by both of my counselors and was shown my room and was given the items I would need to get through Boys State. Like everyone else, I was given a roommate, but my roommate has not arrived yet, so I tidied up the place before he came in. After my roommate settled in and we both rested, it was time for our first city council, where we had our “City Elections”. I had not run for any since none of them interested me. Right after we settled all the “City Elections” besides the Mayor spot, we headed to the Tucker Center (the basketball court where the Seminoles play) where we would have our meals, lessons, elections and the majority of our projects for the entirety of the program. We were introduced to some important people within our program and had our first lunch at Boys State.
Sunday afternoon, we were given 4 special classes we could choose from, and I chose 2: Public Speaking and How to Create a Bill to be Passed to Law. Those were two one-hour special courses and I learned a lot from them, applying it as the week goes on. After that, we went over to be told about how the program works and what our main schedule is for the week. Then, we started our first City Project.
Everyone from each city will separate and work on a project, like how a city council will usually work. I worked with my city until time was up. Then, we headed to our dorms.
Later that evening, we had a brief overview of what we did today as a city and were told about some special extracurricular activities we can do before the day actually starts. We were told about a talent show, but unfortunately, I couldn’t go because I sliced my thumb right before I left for Boys State, meaning I can’t do my talent (Rubik’s Cube). We were also told about the morning run that will take place at 5 in the morning. Everyone was sent to their dorm rooms around 10:55 pm before Taps/ Lights Out, meaning a Bugle player would play Taps, meaning it’s time to go to our rooms. I worked up until 1am to talk with my parents and get work done to prepare for the next day.
Day 2: Monday, June 17th
Around 5am, I woke up for the Morning Run. There was a large crowd of maybe 50-60 kids out there, like we were having a PE Class. We followed the Counselor in charge of the Morning Run and ran to a specific place before we could run anywhere to do exercise as long as we didn’t leave the boundaries. At around 6am, we were sent back to our dorms to get ready with our day. At around 7am we had breakfast in the Tucker Center, which was mainly Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns (or any other form of potato) and juices to choose from, like it will be for most days throughout the week. After breakfast, we had lessons about the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch. We also had lessons about law, where I answered a question about what kind of laws there are (I answered Military Law), and then we had a guest speaker talk to us.
Monday afternoon after lunch, we worked on county elections (city elections were yesterday), so we had elections where we elected our county representatives for special spots. I ran for a few, but I didn’t get voted into any of them (I didn’t speak clearly enough, and I wasn’t seen as competitive). After the elections, we had a county project, where we shared a scenario with the city on the same floor as us. I put as much input as possible, making me a good asset for the department I belonged in. After dinner, we had a few announcements of what was going to happen in the next few days, along with a reminder that there was no Morning Run Wednesday morning.
As we arrived at our dorms Monday night, we went to finish our county project, but my group was finished, so I volunteered my time to help the others in the other departments, but they respectfully declined my assistance. Shortly after, we had a Christian gathering, where more than a dozen Christians came together to share testimonies and beliefs (People had separate denominations). I would say that was the most wholesome moment I had in Boys State, being able to talk with other Christians including the chosen Chaplain of the program (props to him being the spiritual leader for our program). Later, I was pulled in by a fellow Boys Stater in my city and was asked if I would like to study with them around 5 in the morning. I agreed and then went to my room to finish some work and talk with my parents. I went to sleep at roughly 12 am because when my roommate and I woke up, we would leave to join a study group for an important test that lawyers take, called the Bar Test.
Day 3: Tuesday June 18th
Tuesday morning around 5am, I woke up along with my roommate to enter a conference room on our floor so we can study for the important Bar Exam (The Exam that Lawyers take so they can practice Law). Me along with a small handful of others studied for the exam before it was time to get ready for the day.
After Breakfast (the usual eggs, bacon or sausage, some form of potato and fruit juices), we took the Bar Exam after a review. I was not able to see my score until later that afternoon. But now we had more guest speakers and lessons about the Legislative Branch and about the spots that we can run for in the government (House of Representative, Senator, etc.) I planned to run for Senator.
After having lunch in the afternoon, we went to our places to start voting for the second county elections. Each county was separated throughout the other places. My County didn’t want to vote me for Attorney General and replaced me with another person, but I was showing my fullest support throughout the primary elections. I tried my best, but maybe it wasn’t the right spot for me. We got to choose our County Candidates to represent us. They will run and represent us tomorrow for primary elections and eventually state elections. For now, we just got to choose our County Candidates.
After dinner that evening, we were sent to our dorms a little earlier than usual. We were also given last minute time to work on our county projects, but since my team finished way earlier than the rest of the teams, we had nothing to work on. I used that time to talk with my family and finalize my speeches for tomorrow. Knowing there is no morning run the next morning, I will be able to sleep in and rest easily. That night was the best sleep I have ever had in Boys State. I got to sleep around 11:15 pm and didn’t have to wake up until 7:30 am next morning. That was the best sleep I ever had in that week.
Day 4: Wednesday June 19th
Wednesday Morning, I went to sleep a few hours later. I enjoyed every second of my sleep, knowing most of my work has been finalized and there is no morning run. My roommate talked about feeling better and relaxed after that sleep and to be honest, I felt the same. Around 8am everyone in my city left our rooms and ate our light breakfast (a large muffin). It’s a light breakfast and I liked it because I’m not a breakfast person. After getting to the Tucker Center, we had most guest speakers, but they are not like any other ones. People in charge of certain Military Academies spoke about their programs and also the Mayor of Tallahassee came in to speak too. He pulled me for a conversation, and I will never feel this honored for a long time. I also got to check out the Military Academy exhibits, and I was interested. I am not sure if I really want to go, but I will keep it just in case.
After lunch in the afternoon, we had our elections where we would vote for each spot to represent our party (Governor, Attorney General, and 2 Commissioners). No one in my city has got to represent us, but that’s okay. A little bit after the primary election, we had the main election between the Federalists vs the Nationalists. As a Nationalist, I supported the Federalists in all the spots besides the Attorney General.
The voting for this election was like no other. We got to vote like how we would do for the present, electronically. We fill in the blanks on our paper ticket, put it in the machine for the vote to count, then we get a “I voted” sticker. I got the feeling of what voting feels like for the first time. While the main election was going on, we had a talent show. I enjoyed the performer that danced and solved a Rubik’s Cube at the same time. While that guy was on stage, everyone in my city shouted my name and told me to go out there to try to compete against him, although it was a bad idea since my thumb is still hurting from being sliced on Saturday. However, after the talent show, I made a petition to host a Rubik’s Cube competition before Boys State Ended. Many people signed and I turned it into my counselor and he will bring it up to the Director of FALBS. I won’t know if my request will get accepted until the next day. For the winners of Boys State elections, all the Federalists won and not a single Nationalist was close for the Attorney General, which was down by less than 15 votes.
That night when we returned to our dorms, the Federalists were making fun of the Nationalists, which included me. I didn’t mind it that much because I already believed the Federalists would do better than the Nationalists. My roommate agreed not to not make fun of me for the party’s loss and I didn’t care about the loss. I went to bed at 12am. I tried sleeping at 11 but the moment I realized I will actually be able to go inside the Capitol building and do work like a Representative made me so excited. I just couldn’t wait.
Day 5: Thursday June 20th.
Thursday morning at around 5am, I left again to do the run. I was so exhausted that after running, I fell asleep, sleepwalking. I was woken up and got taken back right before I left the designated area. I kept trying to fight my sleep, wishing I didn’t leave the dorm. After I returned, I showered and got ready to go since I had no time to sleep more before going. I was suddenly awake when I remembered I was going to be able to go to the Capital later in the day and I was excited, making me feel wide awake again. Shortly after breakfast, we got seated at the basketball court where we took all our tests and lessons and some other things. The House and Assembly (Assembly is the alternative spot for House of Representatives if you don’t get elected for House) went to the capital where they got to visit the House Chamber and pass laws (I wasn’t sure what the Senate and the Forum, the alternative for Senate were doing). The Assembly was first, so the house went to the House Gallery. I took that as a good time to sleep because it was about an hour long, so I napped. I stayed awake, however, for the most important parts.
In the afternoon right after lunch, we went back to the Capital, which was a 20-minute walk. It was the House of Representatives turn. I spoke regularly so I can fight for or against the bills, depending on the bill. I was able to save a bill using the “Reconsider” Motion, which was to redo the last motion, which was to vote for my case, passing it to the Senate. I felt like I did a lot and I wanted to do more, only if there was more time. The counselor told me that the petition I made to host a Rubik’s Cube competition couldnot be fulfilled because the agenda was too full and there was no room to squeeze in the competition. It made me sad, but I fully understood.
Later that evening, right before the sun went down. My city and counselors were led by a student from FSU, showing us around the campus. FSU had many buildings, a giant library, a game area, swimmable fountains and deluxe dorms for more special students (staff too?) After about an hour of touring, we headed back to our dorms, had a city meeting and then I was given a special request by someone in my city. I was asked to sponsor the bill that he made since it passed the Senate. Unfortunately, I had to turn him down, telling him I am not good at sponsoring the type of bill he wants me to sponsor. Instead, I referred him to someone else that would do a much better job than me at sponsoring his bill. He thanked me for being humble and honest and went to the person I referred him to. I went to bed as early as possible, knowing tomorrow is the last full day of Boys State. I want to go home, but I didn’t want to let go of all the friendships I have made with the counselors and the other Delegates.
Day 6: Friday June 21st
I didn’t do the morning run this morning. I woke up at around 6:30 because I knew I needed as much rest as possible. I showered and got my dress suit ready to wear when I returned to the dorms. I am supposed to have an Awards Ceremony later that night. I went to eat breakfast and continue the day like normal.
Throughout the morning and afternoon, I took law classes and helped pass or destroy laws like I did the day before and had lunch in between. Around 4:30, we were sent to our dorms to rest a little bit before the Awards Ceremony. We rested a little more before our final council meeting before we headed off to the Tucker Center one last time. I asked my counselor for special permission to disappear a little so I can buy our city snacks and drinks and also to get souvenirs and he gave me permission.
I went off to hand the cashier 30$ to load a random box of random combinations of snacks and drinks. He understood immediately what I was doing so he helped with part of it (I thank him for that) and I headed upstairs to my floor as fast as I could. We had a meeting where the counselor asked how many people were leaving that night instead of the next morning. I will be staying the night. After we left for our dorms to get some rest, then change, I made an announcement to the city. I announced out loud “We know how today is the last full day of Boys State, right? (Everyone agreed). I know some of us are leaving tonight. I wanted to do this later, but some of you guys wouldn’t have a chance if I were to do it later tonight. So, I have something for you guys, give me a second.” As I turned around to get the box of snacks and drinks from the nearest table, everyone in my city was hyping me on and cheering me on. As soon as I went to grab the box and turned around, everyone shouted and applauded. I said to everyone to start with 1 so everyone can get one and then if they wanted, they could come for seconds. I have earned high respect from the delegates and the counselors in my city (I have 2, but 1 is a very busy one, but I don’t blame him [keep working hard!]) for they all have earned my respect and gratitude in many ways. Besides the Christian gathering I had on Monday; this was the most wholesome moment for me. Shortly after everyone got snacks and the ones who wanted seconds got seconds, I headed for my dorm to talk with my family. I am ready to finish the rest of my time at Boys State before it is time for me to go.
After spending time with my fellow “citizens”, I went off to get ready for the awards ceremony. I got dressed (in the pictures) and I prepared to head for the Tucker Center. I went with my city and counselors headed there. Upon getting there, we had one last meal at the Tucker Center. When I walked in, I felt like I just walked into a 2-Michelin Star Restaurant. The presentation was amazing, the food was 100x better (the normal food we had before this was decent), and we had real utensils (We normally use plastic plates and utensils). I ate like I was in Olive Garden (it felt weird to do that since I normally eat like if I am at a speed eating competition ). We had our awards after the food, and we headed back to our dorms for the last time. My roommate and I packed so he and I can do a sleepover at another dorm (It was 6 of us total). I said goodbye to everyone that was heading out before the night and got each other’s contacts (I didn’t get all of them, but I got a special few). We slept and we needed to get ready before 6am the next day.
Day 7: Saturday June 22nd
I have to wake up along with my group at 5:30am. We needed to be finished by 5:55, so I took my things, got showered and headed my way out. I got to make one more goodbye to everyone that had a meaningful impact on me (my entire city did in one way). I will see them again one day. I shed a few tears, but only a few because I knew I would be able to contact them in the future.
After leaving the dorm building at 6am, I went with my group that was riding my bus home. There I found all my friends I found from school. I have run into them before, but after that entire week, I had limited contact with them. But it’s alright, we all got to meet new friends and spend time together.
I got interviewed this morning, just like Sunday morning upon arriving. Sunday morning, I was asked my name and what I will be expecting upon being at Boys State. This morning, I was asked if I got what I expected being at the trip for Boys State. Here are my answers…
Sunday Morning: “What would be expected from Boys State?”
“I think I will have an amazing time getting to learn more things I wouldn’t have learned elsewhere, get to make long-lasting friendships and be able to change as a person.”
Saturday Morning: “Did you get what you were expecting at Boys State?”
“Yes and much more. I learned some lifelong skills that I was not only able to use for Boys State, but to also use it later in life. Boys State has changed me as a person, made many good friends and I learned a lot more about Florida than I could not have learned from anywhere else.”
3 minutes after the interview, my bus was ready to get loaded to head home. We are going back to the Legion Posts that we went to before heading to Boys State Saturday Night. It was a long ride, so I slept for a little bit and 4-5 hours later, I made it to my Legion Post. I said goodbye and thank you to the driver and I settled outside by the tables. I waited for a few and then my mother took me home.
I appreciated a lot of what Boys State has done for me even after the program. I appreciate all the things that the once-in-a-lifetime program has taught me. I thank my school for recommending me, especially the 2 teachers that told me about it. I thank my Legion Post for approving of me and I can’t thank you enough. And most importantly. Thank you, Boys State, for the many useful things in life that I would likely fall behind on if it wasn’t for you guys. Thank you, and this was my full experience at Boys State!
(INDIANAPOLIS –July 14, 2024) – American Legion National Commander Daniel J. Seehafer issued the following statement concerning the assassination attempt on former President Trump:
“The American Legion is deeply saddened about the attack on former President Trump and the shooting of innocent spectators. There is absolutely no justification for violence against any political leader. We are confident that an investigation will reveal any security deficiencies that have occurred but are also grateful for the quick reaction by the brave secret service agents who shielded the president to safety and neutralized the shooter. Our prayers are with President Trump and we wish him a full recovery. We also extend our condolences and prayers to the victims and families of all who have been impacted by this heinous act.”
Seehafer also added his expressed desire that Americans would unify in condemning the violence and tone down hateful rhetoric. “In addition to the shooting at the Trump rally, we have seen horrific attacks on Paul Pelosi, Rep. Steve Scalise and former Rep. Gabby Giffords. We should remind one another that political disagreements do not make us enemies. I pray that civility will become the norm in our discourse.”
Washington and Florida are about as far apart as one can get in the continental United States.
But it didn’t take much effort from Darcy Bockman-Wright to convince Lisa Leathers to give up a week of her summer and fly across the country to join the staff at Florida American Legion Boys State (FALBS).
“When she heard the excitement in my voice about everything, she feels my passion and she wanted to share in this experience with me. It is a gift and a blessing to know that after 32 years, we still are battle buddies,” Bockman-Wright said.
“Long trip, but totally worth it,” Leathers said.
Bockman-Wright is FALBS’ marketing and communications chair. Leathers served as a counselor to the program’s press corps this year. And along with Department of Florida Programs Director Bekki Boarman, they’re a noticeable female presence on the FALBS staff.
It’s a role the women, all veterans and Legionnaires, welcome.
“When they get here and they get to meet all of us, especially the females, they get a different perspective (on what a veteran is),” Leathers said of the rising high school seniors that comprise the delegates at FALBS. “They get to realize that it’s a lot more diverse than that. In real life, they’re going to have female bosses, they’re going to have women that they’re working beside. So I do think it’s very important for them to see us in that way and get our perspective on what it was like to be in the military, what it’s like to be in government, what it’s like in the real world.”
FALBS Director Andy Satterlee said, “I want to get out specifically that the Legion is both women and men, and that they served together, and I want to show that positive impact to the delegates here so that they can recognize there’s a female portion of the Legion that served as well. …
“We need to recognize that a veteran is a veteran. It’s not just a male, it’s also females. Everyone is equal at Boys State, as I said in my opening speech.”
Satterlee called Boarman “the heart and soul of our program.”
“She’s the linchpin that gets the Legion in contact with us, helps administer our administration to Florida State University and the program itself, she sits with us on our board of directors as the secretary, so her input is extremely valuable. She has a voice with me, our program, the board of directors, and the Legion,” Satterlee said.
Boys State has become a passion for Bockman-Wright, who’s also a city counselor in addition to her marketing duties.
“Being retired and being in Florida, you’re supposed to be on the beaches and relaxing. Through the Legion, I’m involved in my post, I’m involved in my district as first vice commander. But Boys State has given me a passion. It gets me up out of bed on the days I don’t want to. I’m marching more than I think I ever did in the last couple years in the military,” she said. “I would do anything to get these boys up over that fence to the next obstacle, and better prepare them as better young men than they were when they got off the bus first thing in the morning on Sunday.”
Bockman-Wright said the impact goes both ways.
“I had a young man that got his Eagle Scout last year. And when he got his Eagle Scout and they put up the American flagpole and he stood there and saluted, he said, ‘Miss Darcy, I thought about you when I did it.’ And for all the female veterans that go into VA hospitals and are asked, ‘Where is your husband?’ time and time again, that was one point for us finally,” she said.
“We’re kind of sharing in those moments now, memory by memory with these young men, and that’s what makes it worthwhile every time we march up to the capitol and we sit in there watching them grow and develop, it’s very impactful. They inspire me to keep doing more because I know there’s more young men in Florida and throughout the country that need this program, and need more Legionnaires to be the boots on the ground doing what needs to be done.”
Leathers said she’d love to come back to serve on the FALBS staff and encouraged others to serve their Boys State programs.
“If you have a chance to support Boys State or be a part of it, I would 100 percent say please do it. Because we are building up our next generation,” she said. “And the example that we give them is going to have a huge influence on what they do in the future and who they become, where their values and morals come from. So if you can contribute at all in any way, do it.”
Not long after the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) first took to the state’s roadways, a group of FHP troopers headed to Tallahassee for a week to support a fledgling program — Florida American Legion Boys State (FALBS).
It certainly helped that the FHP was established by former Department of Florida Commander Neil Kirkman. Eight decades later, FHP troopers are still a key part of the program.
“It helps us in several different ways” to have them here, said FALBS Director Andy Satterlee, himself a sergeant with the Cape Coral Police Department. “The relationship between Florida Highway Patrol and the Legion staying that history connection. Secondfold is, the youth of today, some positive influence and impact with law enforcement in general. So it’s not all negative; they have questions or experiences they’ve heard of, they’re right there.”
“Thirteen troopers from all over the state have volunteered their time to be away from their families over Father’s Day to join you this week. These troopers have dedicated their time to you,” FHP Director Col. Gary Howze told the Boys State delegates during an assembly.
Among those troopers was FHP emergency operations coordinator Capt. Derrick Rahming.
“Sometimes when we meet (young people), we meet them in unfortunate circumstances. But when we get to talk to them in this positive atmosphere, it gives us a chance to actually be one-on-one. I don’t call myself captain when I’m here, I call myself Derrick and ask them to do the same. I want to know them, I want them to know me,” Rahming said.
Rahming acknowledged it’s competitive to get the Boys State assignment.
“When those delegates come here, they’re getting the sharpest troopers that we have as part of this program,” said Rahming, who’s served on the staff 16 of the past 18 years. “When I see all those (Boys Staters in) red shirts come into the Capitol and they get to see what we do on a day-to-day basis to get things done in the state of Florida, just means the world to me. This program is awesome.”
‘A week that shapes a lifetime’
Several FALBS staff and guests who are alumni of the program shared their thoughts on how their time as a delegate influenced them.
“It made a huge difference. I didn’t have any understanding of government or an interest in that, and I found I’ve spent my entire 30-plus-year career in public service in various roles,” said Florida 1st District Court of Appeals Judge Clay Roberts, who attended FALBS and American Legion Boys Nation in 1982. “My legal career throughout the state, lots of times I would show up for a hearing in front of a judge and counsel on the other side would be someone I knew from Boys State.”
Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey attended FALBS and has served as a counselor in past years. In accepting a banner from the program commemorating Tallahassee’s 200th anniversary, he said, “Thirty-four years ago I participated as a delegate … in this amazing program, Boys State.”
Satterlee “had so much fun” as a delegate in 1995 despite losing several races before being elected to the House of Representatives.
“So the next year, I saw that the Legion had asked if anyone would like to come back as a counselor, and I applied, and Director George Wehrli said yes. I came back as a counselor, and I was able to serve as a city counselor, and the city counselor is the core, that’s the hands-on with your individual cities. They take your personality on, but you’re also able to step back and watch them actually run it,” Satterlee said. “To me, that made a huge impact. I was actually able to go to college on a military scholarship, and at college, I had several people on my campus that attended Boys State as well, and they had the same experience.”
“Before I went to Boys State and Boys Nation, I was a page in Congress for a year,” said morale officer Bob Knight, a 1974 alum of FALBS and Boys Nation. “And so that gave me even another boost up to understand Washington. But it was life changing. I mean, when I went to Boys State, I really didn’t know which college I wanted to go to. Boys State and Boys Nation defined those decisions. And even as I came back and my second and third and fourth year, there was still a very heavy influence on me and my future. Because of this program; I owe everything to this program.”
And 2024 FALBS Governor Terry Shen was thankful even before his week was complete.
“As I look around this room, I truly see a close family. A family that will stick together because we are the 80th anniversary of Florida American Legion Boys State,” Shen said after his inauguration.
Honoring those who served
Even with the program’s emphasis on the political process, FALBS didn’t forget to thank those who made it all possible.
Shen and his cabinet braved the torrid Florida sun for a brief afternoon service at the Florida Veterans World War II Memorial across the street from the capitol. And all of FALBS gathered in the House chambers Friday morning for a memorial service.
The program’s cities also put together care packages to send to troops stationed overseas.
All in good fun
In an effort to add a little something extra to the rivalry between the political parties, this year’s session featured some bonus accessories for the party chairs — a replica championship belt for the party with the most success in the elections, and fluffy unicorn hats for the other party.
The Federalists left 2024 with the belt and bragging rights after a sweep of the state-level elections.
FALBS morale officer and former assistant director Bob Knight, FALBS Director Andy Satterlee, FALBS Marketing and Communications Chair Darcy Bockman-Wright, 2023 FALBS Governor Martin Seals and 2024 delegate Issa Allison presented former Florida Boys State and Boys Nation Alumni Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey and the city commission with a banner signed by the 450+ delegates and program staff to celebrate the city of Tallahassee’s 200th Anniversary at the Commission Meeting held at City Hall in Tallahassee , Fla., on Wednesday, June 19. Photo by Hilary Ott /The American Legion
In the midst of its own bicentennial, Tallahassee, Fla., welcomed a gift from a longtime resident of the city.
Every session of Florida American Legion Boys State (FALBS) has taken place in the state’s capital city, and with this year’s session being FALBS’ 80th, it seemed only fitting to find a way to commemorate both milestones.
“We made this banner that everyone could sign,” said FALBS morale officer and former assistant director Bob Knight. The 450-some delegates to FALBS 2024 signed the banner, as did program staff, and Knight, FALBS Director Andy Satterlee, FALBS Marketing and Communications Chair Darcy Bockman-Wright, 2023 FALBS Governor Martin Seals and 2024 delegate Issa Allison — a native of Tallahassee — presented the banner to Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey and the city commission at a June 19 city commission meeting.
“The city of Tallahassee will be hanging it the rest of this year in the chambers of the city commission, which there are no other banners in there. So we’re very honored to be a part of that,” Knight said.
The banner presentation is reflective of the program’s embrace of tradition while also pursuing innovative ways to carry FALBS forward and grow its footprint.
Bockman-Wright’s committee is one of those innovations for the program.
“(Social media) has brought a lot more kids to the table, but we’re also getting a lot more older delegates that have forgotten about the program and realize it’s still going on, and we can use the support,” she said. “With the alumni foundation we’re starting in Florida, it would be great to go ahead and get some of those older delegates.
“If you’re a member of the Florida American Legion Boys State, reach out to us on social media, we’ll get you hooked up with where we are. We need that alumni association throughout the United States to connect and wear those buttons proud and shirts and everything else,” she added.
Satterlee acknowledged “the program has to start developing for the future.” In addition to social media campaigns and promotional videos, volunteer staff are developing apps to streamline the Boys State process.
“There is an app for counselors themselves, that has everything. When the boys get off the bus, we can check them in, we can update anything instantaneously, and we can push our schedule, if a guest speaker comes in we can change things immediately. That’s our next step is to get an app for the boys on the other side,” Satterlee said.
“The real big part is the counselor corps created this. Instead of having to spend money, they donated their time, they donated their wisdom in this, and they’ve created it themselves.”
Knight has also been part of that innovation, starring in the program’s promotional videos.
“We’ve been making them for a couple of years, but last year we took it to a more professional level,” Knight said. “And the reason is, because we realized, and we were told directly, that people never see Boys State unless you’re here at Boys State. You don’t have any idea what it looks like to see these boys sitting in those seats in the legislature. … So we said, let’s show the world.”
With the videos, Knight said the program is trying to reach Legionnaires “so that they know what they’re paying for and so that they’ll send us more boys” and the press.
“The press needs to know these are the leaders of our state, even though they only happen to be 17, 18, they are leaders now. And so wouldn’t you like to know what the leaders of the youth think?” Knight said.
The program is also showing the world what it’s doing through Facebook Live streams of various events during the week, including the election results for state office and the memorial service FALBS holds in the House chambers at the state capitol. This year, the program also used technology to interact with other Boys State programs.
“We reached out to Washington Boys State and we asked to do a livestream with them so that Florida Boys State could say hello. We were able to do that and they were able to stream back to us,” Satterlee said. “Right after that, we had Maryland Boys State do the exact same thing. We were able to get a recording as well to Virginia Boys State.”
Even with the innovations, though, tradition remains a powerful component of the week. As they’ve done every year since FALBS’ first session, troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol volunteer on staff. The governor, Supreme Court and other statewide elected officials take the oath of office at the state capitol just blocks from FALBS’ home on the Florida State University campus.
“Before I swore the officers in, one of the young men asked me how much Boys State has changed since 1982,” said Judge Clay Roberts of the Florida 1st District Court of Appeals, a 1982 FALBS and Boys Nation alum who returns each year to swear in the program’s elected officials. “Remarkably it hasn’t changed very much at all.
“You know, you hear in the news, you hear about young people, how they don’t care about service to their country, they don’t care about service to their state, and you come and see this group of 500 young men and you say, ‘No, there are still young men that are just like the young men that I went through it with in 1982, that are now leaders at all levels in the state and nation.’”
